difference between CB,CE,CC transistor configurations
This page compares CB vs CE vs CC transistor configurations and mention difference between CB, CE, CC transistor modes. These modes are used in various transistor based applications as per characteristics mentioned below.
As we know transistor is solid state equivalent of a triode valve. It is a solid state, current gain device which has 3 terminals. The terminals are collector, base and emitter. It is made by both the p-type and n-type materials. Hence it is available in PNP and NPN configurations. It is referred as bipolar transistor.
There are three basic configurations of transistors viz. Common Base (CB), Common Emitter (CE) and Common Collector (CC) used in electronic circuits. Following are the important characteristics of these different modes or configurations. Based on these they are used for different applications. Figure-1 depicts all the three transistor configurations used in various applications of electronic circuit.

Transistor CB (Common Base) configuration
It is transistor circuit in which base is kept common to the input and output circuits.
Characteristics:
• It has low input impedance (on the order of 50 to 500 Ohms).
• It has high output impedance (on the order of 1 to 10 Mega Ohms).
• Current gain(alpha) is less than unity.
Transistor CE (Common Emitter) configuration
It is transistor circuit in which emitter is kept common to both input and output circuits.
Characteristics (applications):
• It has high input impedance (on the order of 500 to 5000 Ohms).
• It has low output impedance (on the order of 50 to 500 Kilo Ohms).
• Current gain (Beta) is 98.
• Power gain is upto 37 dB.
• Output is 180 degree out of phase.
Transistor CC (Common Collector) configuration
It is transistor circuit in which collector is kept common to both input and output circuits.
It is also called as emitter follower.
Characteristics:
• It has high input impedance (on the order of about 150 to 600 Kilo Ohms).
• It has low output impedance (on the order of about 100 to 1000 Ohms).
• Current gain (Beta) is about 99.
• Voltage and power gain is equal to or less than one.
Following table summarizes important points about CB,CE,CC transistor configurations.
Parameter | Common Base | Common Emitter | Common Collector |
---|---|---|---|
Voltage Gain | High, Same as CE | High | Less than Unity |
Current Gain | Less than Unity | High | High |
Power Gain | Moderate | High | Moderate |
Phase inversion | No | Yes | No |
Input Impedance | Low (50 Ohm) | Moderate (1 KOhm) | High (300 KOhm) |
Output Impedance | High (1 M Ohm) | Moderate (50 K) | Low (300 Ohm) |
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